Licensing on hold, again
ICASA recently withdrew a notice regarding the license conversion process, effectively putting the process on halt again.
In a Government Gazette statement the telecoms regulator said that it gives notice that “the Notice published in Government Gazette No. 31399 on 5 September 2008 [where ICASA is ready to issue converted licenses to licensees] is hereby withdrawn.”
ICASA said it will issue another notice in respect to the license conversion process in due course.
ICASA was planning to issue I-ECS and I-ECNS licenses to various Value Added Network Services (VANS) after a high court ruling that VANS were entitled to self provide, effectively giving them automatic rights to Individual ECNS (I-ECNS) licenses under the Electronic Communications Act (ECA).
Communications Minister Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri has however appealed this ruling, saying that it will undermine her ‘managed liberalization’ policies. This in turn has yet again put a halt on the already overdue license conversions and consequently stifling competition in the telecoms market.
ICASA license conversion process
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